


Nova's Beginning

by SilentMagi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, world building, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-11-19 01:51:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11303274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentMagi/pseuds/SilentMagi
Summary: Hey everyone, I’m doing something new that I can hopefully update at least once a week. At the end of each chapter I will provide the proofreader @logo-comics a set of choices to help build the world around Nova. I hope you enjoy it.





	1. Chapter 1

“I want to live,” a voice cut through the white noise, rolling out from everywhere and nowhere in the endless void that it found itself in. The ripples of noise seemed to stir something without form or name.

 

“Can you please give me a form?” the voice asked after a moment passed, a tone of trepidation quavering as a shape began forming in the white space. Her hazel eyes were wide and searching all around before focusing on her own hands, with long and skillful fingers, faintly tannish skin, and not a blemish to mar the skin present. Slowly the hand moved closer to her body to play with the shoulder length brown hair, startling even as a band of leather formed around a portion of it. Feeling the band, she found the hair above it had a braid going up to her right temple. Pulling her hand away she felt the lack of gravity leave it floating around her head casually.

 

As her hand drifted in front of her face again she found a green woolen sleeve draping down onto her wrist casually. Checking the shirt by feel, she found it was a simple, almost homemade blouse of some sort with little strips near the neck to allow her to tie it off while wearing and make it easier to get it off when she was done. Lowering her eyes, she found herself looking down over the peasant blouse to see a pair of rugged denim jeans, and a pair of brown leather hiking boots on her feet.

 

Opening her mouth to speak to whatever was doing this for her; she felt a weight settling around her neck with a focus on her chest. Plucking it up, she found herself looking at a small blue teardrop with swirls of purple and white curling inside of its depths. Smiling to herself she let it fall back down and turned around to look for any hint of the force helping her out.

 

“This is- This is really nice, and I thank you,” she offered while lowering her eyes, her hands drifting in front of her as she fiddled with the pendent. “I don’t want to be rude, but this place is so em-“

 

She didn’t get to finished as a swirl of leaves erupted out of nowhere, causing her to thrust her hands in front of her face instinctively to protect it from whatever it was that was happening. And then she heard the sounds of wind rustling the leaves around her, could feel the same breeze against her skin. Then with the fading of the wind, came a sense of warmth washing over her as a light nearly blinded her for a moment. As she blinked her eyes to clear them, she could feel solidness under her feet.

 

Lowering her arms slowly, she found herself in a sizeable clearing of a forest that seemed impossibly thick with undergrowth and trees. Turning around slowly, she found more of the world she knew to be her own. There was a small garden with green sprouts peeking out of the carefully cared for soil, and bushes surrounding the patch, tiny multi-colored flowers peeking out randomly throughout the bushes.

 

A few steps beyond that was a small creek of water, flowing past it from the forest, and going into the distance beyond the rest of the forest nearly directly opposite of its entrance.

 

All of this was secondary to the log cabin waiting across a small wooden bridge. There were more plants near the windows, through which she could see a comfortably accommodated interior. It was simple, and without a lot of frills, but it seemed almost inviting to her. “This is incredible,” she whispered softly though her body remained in place. The impulse to explore was halted as she looked down at her hands again. “Thank you… I-“

 

Shaking her head, she seemed to shelve what she had wanted to say, and cleared her throat. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

 

Brushing her hair back over her shoulder from where it had fallen, she took a deep breath and approached the garden and the path between it and the cabin. Stopping, she felt a strange sensation of curiosity brush against her colored slightly with a hint of concern. “W-what? I can’t be more grateful, and I shouldn’t keep making demands of you…”

 

Her eyes softened as a sensation of comfort and encouragement washed over her slowly. “Ah, I guess if you insist. I was just wondering, who I am.”

 

The force stalled, before it vanished and she felt herself alone once again. Eyes widening in worry, she searched the clearing frantically, her hands wringing in worry. She somewhat knew that it was unlikely that she would see it now after having been talking to it without any visual indicators for most of her life. “I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me, I’m just lost and concerned. I don’t know who I am, what I am… I don’t even know my own name.”

 

The sound of the wind rustling through the plants, mingling with the faint babbling of the water of the creek rippling past was her only answer. Biting her lip, she lowered her eyes as her shoulders drooped and her hand reached up to touch the gemstone about her neck. Just as fear and doubt began to worm its way into the back of her mind, a sound pierced through the air interrupting her thoughts before they could grow out of control.

 

Looking up, she found the door to the cabin swinging lazily in the breeze. Pursing her lips, she began approaching the opening, heading inside to the sparsely furnished interior. “I guess that was too much to ask, wasn’t it?” she asked the air as she crossed the threshold, finding a small fire burning in the hearth to one side, with a small plate of steamed vegetables and a mug of tea waiting for her by a chair near it.

 

Taking a seat in the soft chair, she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared into the crackling flames of the fire, not even noticing as the food faded from sight, leaving the mug of tea waiting for her when she was ready. After a while, she reached out to pick up the mug held it in her hands while she thought some more. Taking a calming drink, she slowly let out a breath and closed her eyes. “I guess you just couldn’t answer, could you?”

 

A sense of reassurance washed against her, but not as powerful as earlier, almost like it felt afraid of her. That didn’t make sense, she wasn’t nearly as powerful as it was, unless… “Do you regret not being able to answer me?”

 

The same sense of reassurance brushed against her again, just as gentle and mild. “I don’t blame you if you can’t do it; I’m just like anything that lives in this case, seeking my place in this world, and the purpose beyond that. But I would still like at least a name,” she explained, speaking softly as the feeling of confidence in her tickled at the back of her head, causing her to shiver.

 

“Let’s not do that again, please.”

 

The sensation she got was at once both apologetic, and teasing. Figuring that the force wasn’t outright agreeing to her statement, she let out a soft laugh. “I guess you want me to think of one on my own then?”

 

The feeling of reassurance was strong once again, colored with a steady confidence in her that left her feeling warm.  Leaning back into the chair, she embraced the warmth the confidence left in her, letting names flicker through her mind. After several options passed by without any sense of connection, one bubbled to the surface after initially passing it by. “Do you like Nova? I… I feel like it fits me,” she stated, to feel confidence and certainty envelope her.

 

“Nova… I am Nova. Thank you,” she whispered softly to the air, pausing once again to take a drink of the tea. “You are wonderful, you know that? Would you mind being called Ava?”

 

Getting a sense of acceptance, she smiled and let her eyes drift shut in comfort as the light began fading outside once more. The mug faded from her grip as a soft fleece blanket the color of the midnight sky slipped into place over her. Her breathing became slower and steadier as the sense of peace embraced her warmly.

 

As she slept in the little cabin in the woods, her life and the world itself grew and developed. Little mementoes decorated the room as her memories of her creation were overwritten with a childhood growing up here with her father and mother. Scars blossomed from nicks and scratches of childhood, callouses on her hands from hours spent gardening, and other imperfections grew forth from her pristine form to show that she had lived a life before this day. A frown formed on her lips as the memory of her parents passing away in the night filtered into her mind, just as two headstones formed behind the cabin.

 

But through it all, there was a gentle reminder that she was not alone. No, never was she alone, for after all, what loving creator would entirely abandon their creation so soon after it came into being?


	2. Chapter 2

Most would have some preconceived notions about what precisely a witch’s home might look like. Be it a rotting husk of a hut in the fetid depths of a swamp, or a delicious delicacy of candy and baked goods in the middle of a fabled forest. These are outliers and should not be taken into account when talking about the average witch.

 

Many enjoy the average comforts of non-magical persons, but there were little signs that they did not quite match the standards of society. Plants that make no sense, a constant scent that is impossible to identify, or possibly objects randomly floating around randomly: all of these might hint at something strange going on. Do mind the random runes scrawled onto certain surfaces, they tend to capture ones attention, much like the one right by the doorway of this quaint little cottage in the forest.

 

It was a simple rune, flowing lines curling and sweeping across each other. It holds the attention through some arcane means bringing visions of touching it to mind, of running fingers along the faintly glowing symbol right at the bottom where the line formed a bowl. As the impulse takes hold, you hear the merry tinkling of bells fill the air, finally allowing your mind to form the shape of a bell out of the rune.

 

A soft voice from within would call forth that she was coming, before the door pulled wide and revealed frazzled brown hair pulled into a ponytail while hazel eyes scanned the space in surprise as she never had visitors. In fact, since her parents died, she couldn’t even name one visitor to her secluded cabin. But then she’d invite you into the cabin for a cup of tea, or what you would prefer to drink.

 

Afterwards the conversation might be a bit awkward, explaining that her parents were dead and she wasn’t nearly as skilled as them, but she’d be willing to help you out as best she could. You might notice various well-read tomes of magic knowledge all across one wall, while a tiny cauldron bubbled merrily in the hearth, filling the air with a dizzying mix of peppermint and cinnamon, as well as an additional hit of what might have been vanilla.

 

But as you cannot actively interact with her, you would be treated instead with her bustling about by the fireplace, where the sweet mixture continued simmering. “I don’t know, Ava. It seems about ready, but they said that it should be a while longer,” she stated with a frown as she dusted her hands off on her black apron, before touching the teardrop pendent hung about her neck. “Do I have the fire too hot?”

 

She paused a moment with her head tilted, before letting out a sigh and nodding her head. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ll let it simmer a while longer.”

 

She reached out to the side of the fireplace, plucking a black rectangle from its resting place. The object lit up with an internal light, displaying dark words against a white background. On it was a recipe for what was called Drop of Calmness. Apparently it was to soothe anxieties and worries in those plagued by them. Using her finger to scroll down a little farther, she read more about how to form the drops themselves, looking to the side to ensure the tray was still ready for them.

 

Her lips curled into a smile as she thought about how nice it would be to finally finish this set of instructions she could move onto the more advanced things. Edible magic might seem a bit strange, but it felt like a natural extension of potions to her. Besides, it smelled really nice when done right.

 

Looking over at the fireplace, she sighed as she wished she could remember the way to the nearest town, so she could trade them for some other goods, or at least use that as an excuse to talk to people. “Ava? Are we the only living things in this world?” she asked as she looked out at the world, where the wind rustled the blades of grass softly and the water of the creek babbled past her little garden, but never was there any other sounds of nature to be heard.

 

Sifting through her memory, she couldn’t recall ever hearing the songs of birds, or the splashing of fish in the water. The croak of a frog could be the same as the buzz of a bee to her, for she had never heard them before. Turning away from the fire, she gazed out of the window and watched the sudden stillness that was outside the window. Her head tipped in confusion as she noticed that the grass was bent as though still being blown by the wind. “A-ava?” she asked nervously as she searched around the area fearfully. Something strange was going on here.

 

Turning around in the stillness, the only sounds being the falls of her own footsteps, panic began welling in her chest as she realized there was something else missing. She could not sense Ava’s presence anymore. It felt like there was no air in the room, no it was more that her lungs had stopped working even though she knew of no sort of way that could happen. Tears stung her eyes as she sought the empty room for the invisible source of support she had come to rely upon in her life, but there was no sign of Ava, just as always.

 

Then there was a warm embrace of comfort, much like her mother’s arms encircling her as a child that told her, that Ava had not abandoned her. There was a hint of worry that rubbed the back of her ribs softly as though to encourage her to do something. Once she managed to take a few slow, steady breaths, the rubbing ceased and she was able to relax. “Sorry Ava, I just… I couldn’t help but notice that we are alone here. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

A gentle embrace assured her that she had not, when something new appeared on the windowsill before her. The small brown shape tipped its head to the side, causing the feathers of its neck to fluff outwards. The little beak tapped at some crumbs from her breakfast she had eaten while watching the sun rising. A few soft trills, and the rush of wings beating air, sent the bird into the air.

 

“Did you do that?” she asked fearfully as she heard the sounds of life returning to the world around them, filling in the former silence with bird songs, frogs croaking, subtle hums of bugs, and so much more. Ava nudged her towards the fireplace, where her mixture was waiting for her to pull it free. Taking the hint, she removed the cauldron from the fire and began making the dollops of the hardening sweets onto the trays to cool into the drops.

 

She wanted to hurry and get this done, but knew she couldn’t rush it. The drops had to be spaced evenly or it would wasteful, and while the ingredients weren’t rare, it was a mark of pride for her to ensure it was used to its fullest. So instead of running out to play with all of the new life surging just outside of her window, she finished her work like a responsible individual.

 

She could almost sense the consoling warmth of Ava’s approval before it washed over her again. Sighing, she let herself work on automatic for a while, freeing her mind to drift back to her past when she first met Ava, or perhaps realized that Ava was there. In the middle of the night, about a week after her parents had passed on from this world into the afterlife, she was sleeping when a powerful storm rolled into the clearing waking her up with the rumbling of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. Terror clenched her heart as she huddled as far into the corner of her room as possible, hiding with her hands clamped over her ears and eyes shut tight.

 

That was when a warm sense of assurance told her that everything would be fine, and that the storm would pass. Once the storm had left, she found the presence remaining like a soothing echo of the spirits of her parents watching over her from beyond the grave, but Ava had rejected that idea outright.

 

It had been over the next few months that she had come to name Ava based on subtle nudges that the being provided her quietly. It had also convinced her to pick her studies back up, something she had put aside in her grief. Ten years later, she had managed to stumble her way into becoming fairly confident and competent with potions and basic runecraft. However there were things that she was lacking in horribly that most practitioners would have mastered with a mentor.

 

An offended bristling against her shoulders brought her back to the kitchen, where she had finished setting out all of the drops on the cooling tray, and the spoon in her mouth letting her savor the calming flavor while it was still warm. The tingling burn was initially sharp, but then the vanilla helped to mute it enough that she could enjoy the trio of flavors. Taking a few slow breaths, she pulled the spoon from her mouth and set it into the cauldron to clean later. For now, she hugged her right arm across her middle, something that seemed to be approved by Ava as it brought a soothed feeling across her body. “I do not mean you are not a brilliant mentor Ava, but… I need the words, and it is too dangerous to learn it by trial and error. One mispronunciation and… I dare not think about it.”

 

A sense of placation brushed over her right arm softly, before a gentle nudge moved her towards the doorway. “Right… I know it needs to sit, but shouldn’t I clean the cauldron first?”

 

Even as she turned back towards the cooking utensils in question, she found it and the spoon floating in the air over the sink, a brush scrubbing away at both of them. “Oh… Thank you Ava,” she whispered before letting out a slight yawn. “I will go and meet with my new neighbors, but after that I should nap. I am feeling drained.”

 

The sense of warmth and agreement that enveloped her initially caused her to reconsider waiting on the nap, but then it was replaced with a new sense of energy and nudging towards the doorway. The cauldron and spoon rested in the drying rack beside the sink.

 

Heading outside, she couldn’t help but wonder what else was coming.


	3. Chapter 3

Being surrounded with new life around the cabin, Nova found herself enjoying spending hours playing with her newfound animal companions. The little mice enjoyed playing in her braid, while the birds would sing and swirl around her head. She even had cute little fish nibbling at her fingers when she dipped them into the water. Some part of her mind thought she could hear a song playing lightly upon the wind, while lyrical words flowed through her head.

She didn’t give in to the impulse to sing for fear of waking the little fox family that was napping a few yards from the house in their little den. Instead, she allowed herself to hum as she lightly traced her fingers in the water, thinking about what this new revelation could mean for her and Ava. Taking a deep breath to clear the music from the air, if not her head, she leaned back to stare up at the blue sky, the sun helpfully hidden behind some fluffy white clouds. Her hand remained in the water to play with the fish there, while the birds went off to find some seeds to eat, and the mice continued hiding in her hair. “Ava? I feel…” she drifted off as she turned to look into the water as it washed past her lazily in its little creek. When Ava nudged her gently to prompt her to continue, she sighed heavily. “I feel like something is calling to me, but I can’t explain what it is. Do you know?”

A timid sense of confirmation responded, but before she could answer she felt a calming sense of peace try to quell the burning curiosity and desire to go… do something. 

It did seem to be making a mighty struggle in order to calm her down, but there seemed to be a resistance even from the normally benign force. It was almost as if-

“Ava? Do you know what it is?”

The silence this time didn’t bring about the initial panic and terror that it always did previous; instead it was colored by a muted confirmation and guilt. Letting Ava think of the answer, Nova waited for the force that she had known for years to respond. She wasn’t mad, but perhaps a bit alarmed that her only friend felt the need to hide something from her. Finally there was a sense of reluctant decisiveness that brushed against the edge of her mind, coupled with a hint of regret.

“I’m not mad, Ava; I just want to know what it is. I’ve never sensed it before,” she explained softly as Ava continued sending out waves of apology. It was after a few seconds that she detected something else in there. “Why are you afraid of it?”

The response wasn’t allowed to form, as something physical bumped into her hand and remained pressed against it. Looking over, she found a tiny flat bottomed barge that was only a few inches larger than both of her hands put together. But the strange white wood of the barge was shoved into the back of her mind as she spotted the tiny form on it, collapsed and barely breathing. “Hello?”

Her voice seemed to rouse some response from the creature, whose tiny, spindly arms reached out towards her in desperation. The tiny voice was too weak, but the body language spoke volumes for the creature. It needed help, and she was the only one to be able to provide it. Plucking the barge up out of the water, she rushed back into the house, mice tumbling free of her brown braid before she fully sat up.

Once inside, she pulled over one of her mother’s old throw pillows, and carefully set the creature onto it. Looking the creature over, it was hard to make out any telling details about it. The being was a little over three inches tall, rough bark-like skin, and two green leaves wrapping around its shoulders like a cloak. “Ava, tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

Feeling a pull to her pantry, she found herself drawn to a pot of honey she used to flavor oatmeal. “What? Am I to feed her?” she asked, scooping up the honey and returning towards the sleeping creature of sticks and twigs. The impulses that Ava guided her through had her mixing the honey with a bit of cinnamon and water, before carefully dripping some of the sweetened mixture into the opening she thought she saw moving when it tried to speak earlier.

After a few mouthfuls, alertness seemed to return to the creature she barely recognized as one of the fey, though the exact name escaped her. “Easy, good spirit You are safe here, and this meal is with no attachments,” she stated, trying to put the fey at ease. She wasn’t learned enough to enter into contracts with one of their numbers, and she really hoped this was of the Seelie Court.

“Your offer is welcomed, practitioner of the borrowed arts,” the little creature offered quietly as it sat up carefully, pulling its leaves tighter around its front. “But you have saved a messenger of the Seelie Court, and that is not something we take lightly.”

She fell silent, her head bowed slightly. Focusing on the words, she dredged up every mention she could recall from her parents and her lessons. She was far from trained enough for this type of meeting, but she hoped that she was doing it right. “Goodly spirit, any creature in need would find shelter in this home. I am but an apprentice of my craft, though I have no master.”

Ava bristled slightly before wrapping about her with calm confidence and assurance. Oddly enough the fey tilted its head as though listening to something before letting out a small laugh. “You do not speak untruths apprentice, as you claim yourself to be, but I feel that there are shades you do not address. But that is not for us to discuss at this time. You may call me Jin, may I have a name to call Apprentice?”

“Apprentice works,” she offered kindly, moving the mixture closer before setting a thimble nearby for Jin to use to drink from, “or if you wish a short form, how about Pren?”

“Pren, a simple name for this meeting, acceptable to my tongue,” Jin explained with a nod as it pointed to the thimble and cup with a curious expression on its face.

Nova bowed her head as she held out her hand towards the two evenly. “Drink as you wish, free of expectation of return. May I know how to address you formally?”

“Xir is the appropriate term in your tongue, Messenger Jin if you wish to be formal,” Jin explained as they dipped the thimble into the larger mug and sipped from it carefully. “You have a little training with treating with the fey, and I pray you forgive me using such casual form with you, but I feel that the formal form would be disadvantageous to you and I have not fully recovered.”

“I take no offense Xir,” she offered softly with a bow of her head. “I hope that if we ever meet again, that I will be far more learned in the treating of Fey, especially one such as you.”

The look of surprise that crossed Jin’s face shifted into a laugh as the woody head shook fondly. “You are a sharp one Pren, a pleasure to find in one so young. I had thought I passed that without your notice for a moment.”

“I felt that if the entire Seelie Court entreats you as a messenger enough to claim such a title as one you might introduce yourself as, it was important,” she offered with a sigh as she felt Ava beaming with pride along her back, rubbing slowly. “I seek nothing from you, save your health and to assist you back upon your way.”

Jin regarded her for a moment before leaning forward, hands encircling the cup solemnly. “I believe you Pren. You speak naught but truth with me, and I must away ere long. But I cannot leave you unrewarded, if it is in my power to give, you have to but ask.”

Nova bit her lip as she picked at the seam of her pant leg, knowing that this was a bargain she couldn’t take lightly. “May I have a token of having met you Xir?” she asked after a moment, looking towards the barge as if it might have some part she could have from it. Her attention was ripped back towards the messenger of the Seelie Court as it pulled off a splinter from its forearm, which grew longer and wider as she watched, glowing faintly with some power she could only assume was Jin’s magic. Eventually, it formed into a ring, one large enough to fit around her pinkie finger.

Jin held it up for her, waiting until she took it before speaking again. “This is a mark of my favor to you; it holds no power of note, though it will never break. I will spread the message that you bear my mark, and if they can aid you in any way they are to do so in my name.”

Nova looked at the oddly smooth ring of wood, it looked like three vines braided together in an unending circle. Slipping it onto her pinkie, she felt it resize, holding snug at the base of her finger, just over the knuckle. “I shall bear it with pride Xir, though I would but ask to merely have a token of you to remember you by fondly in my older days to come.”

“You are a strange one, Apprentice,” Jin mused before letting out a sigh. “I must thank you though; I fear I might have passed beyond this realm before finishing my task had you not found me. Whatever fate had us meet speaks volumes of your future. I wonder this though: What is your tale to come?”

“That is the question all of us mortals must face, isn’t it?” she offered with a small shrug. “Do you have a way to carry the drink with you?”

“I do, Pren,” the wooden creature answered while reaching inside its chest to pull out a tiny golden flask. It simply tapped the container against the larger mug and the liquid inside vanished. “This should see me to my destination in good spirits and health. Know that you have made grand gestures to me today. This is not a feat to take lightly.”

“I do not take it lightly, but I may not take it as solemnly as you do perhaps,” she answered while playing with her new ring. “I will carry your craft to the creek for you if you wish. Do you wish for me to carry you as well?”

Jin looked at the door leading towards the creek with an expression that one might consider if they wish to journey to the horizon. “I hope you do not find my acceptance to be demanding, but yes, it would be a wonderful for the assistance.”

“Let’s get you on your way again. If you are ever in the area, please feel free to visit again, I will make more drink and if you have time enough some food as well,” she offered as she moved the barge to the edge of the cushion that Jin had been resting upon. Once the creature had settled on the craft, she lifted them both carefully and carried them towards the creek, looking at the now setting sun carefully. “Will you be safe after dark?”

“I shall not tarry in this world long enough for the darkness to fall, but even then I have means to protect myself now that I am refreshed. Your concern is appreciated though,” Jin explained with a fond smile as she knelt next to the flowing water and set the craft down, on the opposite side of the bridge where she had met Jin initially. “Be safe Pren, I expect next we meet, you will have quite the tale to tell.”

“I only wish I had more to offer now,” Nova answered with a bow of her head while the craft began drifting away. “Until next we meet: May the waters carry you safely, and the winds be fair.”

“Gentle waves and fair travels Apprentice,” Jin answered as the ship turned and went against the current towards the bridge arching over the creek. Reaching into its chest again, the messenger pulled out something she couldn’t make out in the fading light and held it out past the bow of the ship. As soon as it passed under the edge of the bridge, the object vanished and a shimmering wall appeared; which swallowed the barge and its passenger whole as they pressed through it.

Nova waited a count of ten before turning back to her house, her mind focused on the drops she had made earlier that day. If ever there was a time for something to soothe ones nerves, it was now. The warm, comforting feeling that washed over her from Ava seemed to agree with her entirely. “I can’t believe I did that!” she exclaimed as she looked squarely at the ring about her pinkie. She would have to look into this a good deal more.

She was pretty sure she was in trouble with being marked by the fey in anyway, but at least she hadn’t given Jin any type of power over her. She didn’t remember where she remembered to not give her true name from, but she was thankful it had sprung up to her mind.

Plucking up one of the drops, she popped it into her mouth before putting the rest into a travel pouch. She’d sort them out in the morning, but for now she wanted to hide under her blankets and quietly freak out.

As night fell, little did she know that the winds of destiny were blowing in her direction, and the only warning she had was a subtle tremor of trepidation from Ava. Too bad she was too distracted to focus on that at this time.


	4. Chapter 4

“No Ava, I haven’t changed my mind,” Nova muttered as she packed away another packet of the magical sweets she’d made over the past few weeks since meeting Jin, the messenger of the Fey. The mild feeling of dissatisfaction at her current situation had grown even more as she felt the cabin shrinking around her. “I have to go out there and do something,”

She sighed at the timid, cautious feeling that tugged at her arm, urging her towards her bedroom. The dim light of dawn was barely peeking over the trees on the eastern end of the clearing, but even still she couldn’t possibly go back to bed. She had to leave, and soon, or she would be trapped in this cage forever. “I need supplies Ava, I need other people, I’m sorry, but I need to do this.”

Ava stopped pulling on her arm, a bit of resignation coming over their link, colored by sadness. “No I’m not abandoning you Ava, you’re more than welcome to come with me. But- There is something driving me to go out there, to find a purpose for my being. You have been my only friend for years, and I will never forget that,” she explained, wishing she could hold Ava in her arms, to somehow show the force how much she cared about it, but she couldn’t. “We’ll come back, but we have to go for at least a shopping trip.”

Slinging the pack of herbal candies over her shoulder, she patted her hip pouch where a couple potions in smash vials rested. They were a carefully crafted potion that would summon a swirl of smoke around a chosen position, and any creature being inside would turn invisible. On her other side, she had her e-reader with all of her magical knowledge stored on it holstered safely in its waterproof carrier. Perhaps she could find a good guide towards the pronunciations she was struggling with, or even a tutor to show her where she was messing up.

Picking up a hat from behind the door, she put it on casually. It wasn’t the traditional peaked witch hat that had everyone saw everywhere. Instead she probably would have looked more at home on the range in the broad brimmed ten-gallon hat she flopped into place. The brown felt was comforting to her as she could remember her mother putting it on her after her tenth birthday. Then she saw the worn wooden staff that had been her father’s, the smooth and polished wood familiar as an old friend.

Pulling it out of the pot it was all but planted into, she ran her fingers over it lovingly. “Father, guide me on this path please,” she asked the staff quietly as she looked over the length of enchanted wood quietly

Letting out a sigh, she picked up her sunglasses from the table next to the door and slipped them onto the front of her shirt, holding them at the ready for later in the day. The pack full of her wares was slung over her shoulder as she looked around to ensure everything had been cleaned and prepared for her extended time away. She could feel Ava pulling on her emotions to stay in the cabin, though she did not know the reasoning behind it.

Stepping outside of the door, she closed and locked it before closing her eyes and extending the staff before her, the top tipped forward slightly. A tugging on the staff itself countered Ava’s pull towards the door she had just left from, directing her away from the cabin and towards the opposite side of the clearing. Opening her eyes slowly, she found that the small footpath that had led to the bridge over the creek was extending outward from the bridge’s other side and meandering across the clearing. Before her eyes, the path arrived at the forest on the far side, between two trees. The trees seemed to shift apart ever so slightly, with their branches entwined overhead forming a neat archway that revealed the path continued on.

“This is it Ava. Our journey begins here,” she explained while stepping foot on the hardened dirt snaking its way away from her home. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she felt an eagerness growing in her chest; a desire to run along the path to see where her future would take her.

Picking up the pace, her eyes focused on the opening in the trees, with a long, straight path leading towards the light on the far side of the shadow dappled road promising hope and adventure just on the horizon. Picking up her pace, she felt a strange sense of cautious optimism growing beside her, and knew that Ava had been converted over to supporting her trip to the town. Almost as if the force that had been with her for most of her life was coming to realize that she was going to be coming back to the cottage in the woods after hitting the market finally.

Along with the support that Ava was giving her, there was something else growing in her. It wasn’t the usual guidance born from  the outside force of whatever Ava might be, but rather a giddy bubbling excitement and inspiration from the depths of her heart. It felt like there was some form of music swelling as she continued pressing forward.

“ _This road goes far beyond where I see, and I long to know where the end comes,_ ” she sang softly to herself as she passed into the forest, feeling the coolness wash over her. “ _Through the woods and past the hills my feet will carry me, just as in the tomes.”_

Letting out a laugh, she shook her head as she realized just how horrible the song was. She wasn’t really musically inclined, and it wasn’t like she was supposed to be a bard or something. She was learning to be a witch, which involved learning magic and not things lyrical. Sure there were some that did both, but the discordant mess that was her singing voice told her enough that it wasn’t meant to be her path in life.

Leaving the song writing to someone that probably knew what they were doing in that realm; she continued humming along with the music in her head. It was a nice tune, even if she couldn’t think of where she might have heard it to know the melody enough to have it play in her head without instrumentals providing her the notes.

The forest seemed to respond with a song of its own, the clacking of branches serving as a tempo, the rustling of leaves, and soft skittering of life serving as instruments. The cries of birds and beasts combined to become the singer that she wasn’t.

With a steady breeze to her back, she found herself enjoying the almost leisurely walk under the canopy while nature itself sang a song both ancient and new. She knew that it would be over too soon, even though it was as eternal as the Sun. Perhaps that was the nature of the song? Changing but never ending, and she was but a section of the grander melody.

Before she knew it, she was standing at the other end of the tunnel in the forest, gazing out over a shimmering sea of emerald green grass growing long and free. Nearer to this end of the plains, she could see where creatures of the forest had nibbled back some of the grass for their lunch. It was here that the cleared path ended abruptly.

A few deep breaths helped to steel her growing nerves as she sought some glimmer of the town she was looking for. Aside from a few sparse trees and hills, all she could see was a nearly endless expanse of green. Extending out her staff once more, she closed her eyes and allowed magic to guide her once more.

In her mind’s eye she began forming the distant memory of what she could recall of the town from when her parents had taken her in the past; rows of homes with quaint gardens, shops dotting the corners, leading to taller stone buildings which housed some of the more officious businesses, and cars rolling past with a roar of their engines. Then the life began filling the scene again. Centaurs trotting along the sidewalks, while dark elves in shades and deep hooded sweatshirts clung to the shadows of the buildings, fairies flitting about in the widow boxes and gardens, kids of various races running around, and animals doing their thing amongst the humans, elves, dwarves, and so many other species of sentient life.

Once again the staff pulled her in a direction, not much off of the way she had been facing, just slightly to the left. Opening her eyes again, she instantly regretted it as the light of the sun was blinding outside of the forest. Snatching her shades up from where she had them stored, she rushed to slip them on before reopening her eyes once more. “Ugh, Ava? Can you remind me to not do that again? Preferably, before I burn out my eyes.”

The feeling of reassurance mixed with mirth that brushed against her told her that Ava had heard her and was enjoying this more than she felt they should. Rolling her eyes, she began making her way along the direction that the staff had pointed, using the length of wood to part the grass before it engulfed what signs of her passage she made behind her.

She made a note that she would have to rely on the staff to find the entrance back to her clearing when she came back, but otherwise felt like everything was going according to plan.


	5. Chapter 5

The endless expanse of grass was in fact, not endless. It only took a full day for her to find a dirt road with deep wagon ruts in the middle of it. Looking down it, she found that it led to a town just a few miles away. Smiling to herself, she turned to look back the way she had come and took a deep, steadying breath. “Right Ava, we’re almost there, and you know it can be an adventure since I stepped in that cow patty back there.”

The faint sense of mirth at the weak joke almost made it worth finding out that she had been in the grazing fields for the town the hard way. Ava seemed to have accepted that she was going to be coming back to the cabin as soon as possible. Pushing her shades back up her nose, she continued walking along the path. In the distance she could hear the growing noises of the city. The chugging sound of a tractor, car horns beeping, and the people screaming.

Wait, screaming?

Rushing forward, she drew closer to the town and found something strange going on before her. In the place of the simple town she remembered was several buildings of brick and stone. Well there were several that had some colorful paint jobs, but it was the mass of giant tents in the middle of the city. There was dozens of humanoid shapes walking in and out of the main tent, along with a few strollers and carts.

“In a hurry to see the circus little lady?” a teasing voice asked from the side of the road, causing her to whirl on it with her staff at the ready. Standing before her was a three-foot tall woman that looked like a cross between a rat and a human. They held their hands up in surrender with a little laugh. “Easy, I’m just a traveller like you. I was just taking a rest here before going into the town.”

Slipping back into a relaxed position, she felt her own unease echoed by Ava’s suspicions as she studied the new person. “Sorry, I am not used to being around others. My cabin’s a bit of out of the way,” she explained with a slight laugh and a blush forming on her cheeks. “I’m new to town, what’s your name?”

“Name’s Cheza, and I’m from the capital myself, so this is a new town to me,” she asked while scratching at the fur of her cheeks. As Nova studied her a little longer, she tugged at the leather vest over her chest wraps and short skirt where her thin whip-like tail slipped out underneath. “Do you think I could walk with you? Most people think that we ratkin are filthy, and covered with bugs, but we’re not.”

“Daily bathing sessions, five cultural times of the day you scrub your hands, arms, and everything from the neck-up keeps that from happening,” the witch stated as she looked towards away from the smaller creature and towards town. “I was going to sell some of my goods to see if I could buy some supplies and maybe find someone to help me with some stuff… Guess it will be harder now.”

“Probably not, just look for the merchants booths, but first you’d probably want to check in with city hall to make sure you can sell your goods in town. Might be a bit of paperwork, but they haven’t had a visiting merchant in a while, so they might be eager for some stuff. Whatcha selling? Carvings? Pelts?”

“Natural curatives of a herbal nature?” she offered lamely as she gave a weak smile.

Yeah, apparently that was the wrong to say as the tail went rigid and the eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Like weed? Huffies? Blazems? Dusts?”

Of course such terms took a moment to sink in with Nova, and she handled it with grace, dignity, and ease. “W-what? Nonononono! It’s just potions in candy form!” she blurted out as she pulled out her sample pack and showed it off to Cheza. Pulling one out to a swell of peppermint and cinnamon.

“Oh! PotCans, why didn’t you say so?” the rodent woman asked with a chittering of her teeth. A few sniffs and she was leaning forward with wide eyes and her hands rubbing together. “Oh wow, those are like really strong, you don’t cut them, do you?”

“No, some might have chipped though,” Nova explained in confusion as she looked into the bag to see the candies still in pristine condition. “I have some Calming Drops, some Focus Fizzies, and a few bags of Energy Lozenges… I know they’re fairly basic, but I need some more supplies before I get the good ones. I might even be able to take some pre-orders if people want me to.”

“You… you’re a witch, aren’t you?” Cheza asked quietly while wringing her hands and tucking her tail between her legs.

Nova took the warning feeling that Ava gave her in stride and tucked the candies away. “Just a herbalist and runecrafter for now, my father was a witch. Mother was a member of the state law patrols before retiring when I was born… why?”

“There hasn’t been any witches since your Father… and if you asked anyone else, it’s been about a hundred and fifty years,” Cheza explained while pulling her tail into her hands. “They just kinda disappeared when the magic council joined the federal government. You probably won’t be able to find anyone to teach you to be a witch, but…”

“What about a magic instructor? I just need help with spells, I have several books on everything else, but I need help with saying the words of spells,” Nova asked quietly, figuring that if nothing else, she could just continue her work as an herbalist for the time being.

“You have to go to the bigger cities for that, but umm… don’t mention you’re a witch, okay? Say you’re an herbalist looking to expand into other realms. Keep people from getting confused, yeah?” the smaller one asked while moving to lead the way into town. Her short grey fur was still bristled, as her rather cute little ears flicked with even the slightest breeze.

Ava was sending signals of alarm and caution directly to the core of Nova’s body, clenching her heart with nerves. Forcing a sense of calm back against the swelling panic, she walked along with her new companion, leaning on her staff a bit as she forced herself to slow down for Cheza’s shorter legs to keep up.

They made quite good time to town, with Cheza walking her straight to the building with City Hall written on the outside. Waving to the rat woman, she went inside where she found a frazzled looking woman behind the reception desk typing on three keyboards at once. She stood waiting a moment until the woman regarded her through half-moon spectacles. “Oh hello, may I help you?” she asked as she slithered out from behind the desk to come around and approach Nova properly.

“Sorry, I was told to stop in here to make sure I can sell the PotCans I make,” she explained while pulling out the sample pouch and showing them off. “At least that’s what Cheza said they were called, they’re all herbal candies to help with things like anxiety, tiredness, and loss of focus. I know they’re kinda basic, but I don’t have the ingredients for the more advanced things, so I was hoping to sell some of these and buy supplies.”

“PotCansss, yesss,” the six armed naga hissed out as she pulled one out and lifted it into the air, flicking her tongue out to smell it. “Short for Potion Candiesss, thessse are rare recccently. Are you a herbalissst?”

“Yes,” she answered while shuffling her feet slightly. “I’m still learning, and the rat person I was walking with told me I’d have to go to a bigger city for some of the lessons I was looking into, but for now can I sell these?”

That seemed to snap the receptionist out of her reprieve she motioned for Nova to follow her. Walking along the halls, the young witch marveled at the fancy large screened readers on the desks, with more of those keyboards that the naga was typing at. A lot of paperwork was sitting in baskets to be worked on, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the building at all. Eventually they came to a door with the word ‘LICENSING’ in bold block lettering. “In here.”

“Thank you ma’am,” Nova offered as she took back her samples and entered the door which the receptionist opened for her. Behind the desk in the room was a rotund little man reading an old paper book. As she entered, a bookmark was slipped into place and his attention had focused on the Witch’s apprentice. “Hello? I was looking for permission to sell my wares?”

“Ah! Wonderful, you just missed being able to set up a booth with the circus in town, but I can help you if you’re looking to set up a shop or maybe be an independent contractor for some of the smaller shops in town, not much I can do about the larger supermarket, but you don’t look the type to sell to those,” the man gushed as he pushed himself out from behind the desk and strode over with his hand extended. “What type of wares are you selling young lady?”

Taking the man’s hand, she felt it being briskly pumped for a bit too long while the man beamed up at her happily. After freeing her hand from his powerful grip, she held out the pack with her samples in it. “Just some Potion Candies, I guess they might be out of favor now, but I’m still learning…”

“No, no I think you’ll be just fine… Do you mind me doing some testing? You can leave the rest of them in the safe over there if you’d like. It’s one of those hotel safe types where you can set your own passcode and I won’t be able to get into it,” he explained while setting the pouch onto his desk. “I would recommend selling at that new hipster hotspot over on Main… what was the name again? Insert Witty Name Here? Yes, that’s it. If these are all natural as I think they probably are, since you said you make these. Are they herbalist recipe? That could fetch you a good price with them, and the Vegans, and… you’re not used to cities are you?”

She blinked slowly as she realized he’d asked her a question a blush growing on her cheeks again. “That obvious? I don’t want to get mixed up with any gangs or anything like that…”

The honest laughter from the man might have not been intended as a mocking one, but she felt it all the same. “Forgive an old man his amusements. You’re a little out of the loop, I suppose. They’re just people that live different lifestyles. Hipsters are just somewhat focused on everything being… aesthetically pleasing? And Vegans are like vegetarians that refuse to eat or use anything that’s so much as looked rudely at an animal.”

“Oh… I suppose if they like it, I don’t have anything animal in them, but I use honey in my tea I drink. Would that upset them?” she asked trying to understand why he was wanting her to sell to the strange gangs that weren’t gangs, or whatever. “So… umm… I put the rest of them in the safe, and you do… what?”

“I test the samples you gave me to ensure that they’re up to safe quality standards, and then I suppose I should also take some random ones before you put them into the safe. Just so you don’t slip in anything funny in the others. But you look like a nice girl and I cou-”

“Let me open them up for you,” Nova cut in as she pulled out the three pouches and held them out to the man. “I want to do everything by the rules.”

“Hmm… will have to break them into smaller packs for the stores, but I see you have several in here. Let’s see…” he mused as he plucked out several and set them onto a bowl nearby. After five from each pouch she was allowed to store them into the safe and instructed how to set the code. After he turned away long enough for her to do so, he took her back towards the desk. “Let’s get started on the forms, then you have a few hours while we get the boys in the lab to look these over, do you have a place to stay overnight?”

“No sir, I just got to town when I was taken here,” she explained before settling in opposite where he had been reading. “I was going to see about renting a room. I have a little money, but with the circus in town, I’m worried there might not be a room.”

“There might be a room at the Sleep Inn out on Fifth, but I’d recommend that you try Raven’s Roost. The decor is a bit dour, but the rates are reasonable for a bed and breakfast. The manager is a local girl and she could use the business. Also, it’s right down the road from Insert Witty Name Here and the library. Free Wi-fi at both locations.”

“Wi-fi?” Nova asked as she watched him digging out a small stack of forms and documents.

“Might I suggest visiting the library to catch up on recent technology as well? Wi-fi is wireless internet, and I’m guessing you haven’t been online in a while…” he muttered while rubbing his double-chin with one hand while the other set the stack of forms onto the desk. “If you would rather have some fun, the circus is fairly cheap. And we do have some nice places to have some fun.”

“The library would be plenty fun for me, thank you,” she answered while picking up the pen and beginning to read through the the paperwork.

Nearly an hour later, she was ushered back out with instructions to come back tomorrow morning. Shifting her pack onto her shoulder, she tried to remember the directions to make it to the Raven’s Roost, since she needed to store her other stuff before wandering around. As she walked along, her eyes were drawn to the storefronts. There was a store that had some stuffed animals on display named Biggest Toybox, sitting nicely to an ice cream parlor named Fudged-Up. There were a few nice buildings that she figured were houses or something. And then she turned at the library, a cute little brick building with a section of the wall painted to look like the individual bricks were books.

There were some more shops, including Insert Witty Name Here, which was already closed, or rather hadn’t opened yet according to the hours on the front door. Weird hours were a thing, who would run a store that was only open after the sun was down, and then close shortly before ten? Hipsters were weird.

A few blocks later she was standing in front of a house that spoke to some part of her that she didn’t know she had. It was a patch of Halloween that had never cleaned away. An old, dead tree loomed in front of the drab grey house with black trim. Spider webs clung to several corners, and the ravens circling overhead were a nice touch. She was going to like it here.

Getting to the front door, she reached up to knock, only for it to creak open slowly before her to reveal an interior of black velvet, silver trim, and a woman looking her over with a curious gleam to her eyes. “Welcome to Raven’s Roost, I am Raven the owner, and I hope that you are here to stay the night,” she offered with a demure purr to her voice as she held out her pale white hands, with black fingernails. When Nova took it to give it a shake, she shifted her grip and lifted the witchling’s hand to her crimson lips and kissed the knuckles softly.

“My name is room, and I was hoping to rent a Nova?” she squeaked out as the sheer power of the woman before her washed over her, drawing a slight laugh as her words caught the attention of the other woman. “I mean I’m Nova, and I’m visiting town to resupply for my cabin, and was told to try out the rooms here.”

Raven straightened up with a coy smile curling her lips upward as her dark hair drifted past her shoulders with flickers of burgundy streaking through it like lightning. “I can certainly assist you with that,” she answered before turning and indicating a sofa a few feet away. “Come, let’s sit and discuss the details in comfort.”

Nova rushed to comply, pulling her mother’s cowboy hat off her head in a belated reminder of her manners. There was something about the bearing of this woman that made her feel like an uncouth hick or something. “Do try to relax dear Nova,” Raven offered as she pulled open a roll-top desk to reveal a single-serve coffee maker. “Would you like some tea or coffee while we talk? Freely given, and free of charge.”

“Do you get a lot of fey here?” she asked, recognizing the phrasing. “Oh, and a cup of tea with honey please.”

“A lady with refined tastes, despite what might appear outwardly,” Raven mused as she pulled out a little cup from a drawer and inserted it into the machine. “I must admit you are a mystery to me my dear, and I do so love mysteries…”

Nova blushed as she looked away from Raven to try and recover some semblance of ability to think. She didn’t even notice that her question had been completely glossed over or ignored. She wasn’t about to ask, since it was probably rude and Raven was trying to spare her embarrassment by flattering her. Did that make sense?

“I am an open book Miss Ra-”

“Just Raven please my dear,” the manager asked as she clicked over on her heels, her hips swishing in a manner that reminded Nova of a predator stalking towards her like she was the next meal. “Now sometimes those that say they are open books miss the secrets they hide from the world.”

Nova felt fingers brushing over her arm before gently cupping her cheek and guiding her to look into Raven’s eyes, revealing them to be a brilliant emerald hue. “Let’s talk a bit more, my mysterious little wanderer. I wish to know so much more about you.”

Nova gulped against the swell in her throat as she tried to regain the ability to talk. Only one thing could help her regain anything resembling control. “Raven, perhaps we might save that for later? I would like to get my stuff put away before much longer. I’ve been on the road all day, and…”

“A bath would be nice, too, yes? You are right, forgive me my eagerness to unravel this mystery, please,” Raven offered before standing up and holding out her hand for Nova. “Come, I will show you the rooms and you may have your pick. I believe that there is one that will suit your... desires.”


	6. Chapter 6

A hot shower later, Nova was dressed in some fresh clothes and ready to explore the city she’d arrived in a bit more. Leaving the hat slung back across her shoulders, she made her way out the front with her staff slung lightly in the crook of her elbow. It had been years since she’d been around others, aside from the one Fey a little while back, and she knew that she had a lot to catch up on. In her mind that meant one thing. Time to go to the library.

She should have a few hours to get some reading in before they closed, and then it’d probably be about suppertime, and Raven had made her promise to come back in time to eat with her, so she would probably have to keep that in mind. Turning back the way she had came not a full hour earlier, she retraced her route back to the main part of the city where the library lay. 

Finding the place painted to look like it was made from a pile of books was fairly easy, she didn’t even need to think about using her father’s staff to guide her. Instead she simply enjoyed the lazy afternoon stroll. Once inside, she looked around a bit lazily, her search completely unfocused as she didn’t fully know what she was seeking at this time. She wanted to catch up a bit on what she missed out in her time since her parents died, but she didn’t exactly know where to start with that.

She was just about to turn to find the Librarian so she could ask for some help when one appeared directly in front of her. She did not scream, which to be honest was a feat after being shocked at seeing something emerge from the bookshelves to look directly at her. “May I help you Miss?” the hollow, echoing voice asked in a soft tone, as a mischievous twinkle sparkled in the faded eyes before her. The fact that she could see the bookcase behind the spectral figure clued her in on just what was going on here.

“Forgive me, I am Charles Montgomery Ulysses Caruthers the Third, the head librarian, at your service ma’am,” he offered quietly after she didn’t respond for a few seconds. Floating back a few steps, he began stroking his bearded chin in thought as he regarded her for a few seconds. “I dare say I have not seen you before, are you new in town?”

“Somewhat?” she offered while looking around to check and make sure she wasn’t disturbing anyone by talking with him. “I came here back when I was younger, but I’ve been out in the forest for a while now, and I was hoping to catch up with things like this Wi-Fi that the man doing my licensing was talking about and-”

“Wi-Fi hmm? Well that is at least eight years old,” he cut in with a musing humm before indicating she should walk with him. “How long were you out in the Woods, if I may know ma’am?”

“Oh, I was born and raised in the cabin, but I think I haven’t been in town in ten years? No, it had to be longer than that, since before my parents died at least,” she started to answer, only to break off in a mumbling tangent while a furrow started to crease her brow. “I think it was at least ten years? My father picked up this reader then.”

As she pulled her link to all things magical, the librarian's eyes widened as he leaned over to inspect it closely. “Mm… yes, I see what you mean. Difficult to track how old these things are if that is your best reference point. All this modern technology looks so much alike for me, I fear I cannot keep up with it. But I can tell you that it is at least ten years out of current level, since that is when they started adding speakers.”

“That sounds useful… how much are they?”

“Oh, I have no clue, never had a need of them myself, but if you want my assistant Janine might be stopping by at closing, and I know she has one. But from what you were saying, you might be missing one of the most useful features of these readers… Could you power yours up?” he asked while they got to some empty tables with comfortable looking chairs.

Flipping open the cover, she waited for it to load before noticing something strange. “That number in the corner is new…” she muttered as she slid her fingers down from the top to see a new notification. “I have a new Wi-Fi connection available?”

“Wireless internet connection Ma’am, a lot of modern businesses that want you to remain for a while have it, at least here in town,” Charles explained before indicating she should press the notification. “Join Library Guest, it’s our free network for people to use. Normally we ask for your library card, but since you are just visiting and get out here rarely, I’ll let it slide this once. If you were to sign up for a card, I would not object…”

“I guess I could think about it, but I’m not in town that often so I- uh- that is a lot of updates,” she muttered as she looked at the rather large number of updates being requested to make. She didn’t even know they could go into four digits.

Charles let out a soft chuckle as he ghosted against her shoulder lightly. “I feared as much sadly, forgive me for not mentioning it sooner,” he explained with genuine sympathy in his voice. “But at least now your device will be current, and the speeds are not so bad here. I believe the technicians included a rune card that allowed older models to run at more current speeds. So you should be finished by the time we close at the latest. But for now, how about we look into something else? How much of current events would you like to catch up on?”

“A little bit sir? I guess I want to know what happened to witches, every time I talk about them, people react oddly,” she offered with a sigh as she set her device down on the table, watching as the charging symbol switched over to indicate it was plugged in, despite not having the cord with her. “Oh, and I guess it’s a bit childish, but I kinda would like to look into a book series that was popular when I was here last. It’s about a boy named Perry and it turned out he was a musician in a world that it was a secret.”

“Perry Martin?” he asked curiously, getting a nod from her. “I see… the first book came out about fifteen years ago, and there are ten books in total. The last one was about five years ago, there were also several movies made.”

“Oh… I suppose I would have to start from the beginning to catch up,” she explained while watching the progress bar slowly ticking towards the end. “I don’t even remember which book I last read.”

Charles seemed to want to say something about that, but stifled himself and cleared his throat. “Yes, I shall not delve into the various books for there are some major spoilers, but we do have the entire collection here, and I believe the national library has it accessible online, if you have a card with them.”

“Would the library card here count towards that?” Nova asked hopefully as she didn’t want to even guess how much of a travel it would be to go to the national library and then to set up for access to the wireless. Perhaps it would be easier to just get the books herself.

The fond chuckling returned as he stroked his own beard again. “I dare say it just might, if you wish to sign up for it. Then I suppose it would be a matter of connecting to the wireless network at your cottage. I wonder if they have coverage out that way. I know that some phone systems would have it, but I cannot be certain.”

“I don’t think it would, since my tablet never showed a link before now.”

“That is another topic to cover, but essentially you need a bridging device, but Janine would know better,” he explained while drifting over towards the opposite side of the tables, lounging back on the air. “Hmm… yes… your situation is rather difficult to gauge for me. Sorry, but this old man does ramble so since he died. What was the other topic you wanted to know about?”

“Oh! Umm… Witches, my father was one, and when I mentioned them to someone, they acted kinda funny…”

“Ah yes, you would not know… Witchcraft has fallen out of favor about eight years ago due to The Black Night,” he explained, his voice grave and heavy. “While it’s not illegal, it is not exactly a topic for polite conversation.”

“Oh… so are the magics associated with it frowned upon?”

“Not at all, since those magics are generally universal despite the names, at least in the academic circles, but the common people are the type to latch onto labels, I would suggest using the term Arcanist. A bit archaic and general, but it would not be lying.”

“Oh, thank you for explaining that. It’s been bothering me. I was told about a college of magic in the Capital… would they have ways of helping someone learn magic? I’m good at potions and rune crafting, but my verbal spells are…”

“Something that needs a trained ear to help you learn properly,” Charles finished with a chuckle. “I imagine that they might be able to assist you with that, though if you have other skills already, you could save a bit of coin and seek out an apprenticeship. Though that is a path that is out of favor as well, mostly because the schools can train more at once.”

“Is that the only reason?” she asked while leaning against the table, her hazel eyes glimmering with curiosity.

“Well… no… It is also that most magicians are either complete isolationists, or tend to flock together. In fact, I daresay that the last magic user in this area might have been your father, and before him was Ol’ Crazy Ben, he had a tower just outside of town south of here… it is a lake now.”

“Ah, I can see the problem with seeking him out then…” Nova commented as the thought of getting any training in pronouncing magic words continued growing more distant and elusive. “What other reasons are there?”

“As I mentioned it is a bit more on the cost effective side to teach batches of students as opposed to having to start with fundamentals each time. Most casters can perform rather admirable feats of prestidigitation once they are out of the schools, and if they need any specialization training, it is easy enough for the employer to have a senior caster teach them the tricks. I believe that those are the primary reasons, there is one more reason. Less chance for the instructor to abuse the pupil if it is in a group setting as opposed to a private one on one apprenticeship.”

“Ah, I didn’t even think about that.”

Nova let out a sigh as that put another nail in the coffin of a quick few lessons with someone to learn proper spell casting. She’d taught herself with what her parents had left behind for her home schooling, and had even sent in the test for her final grades, which had given her a diploma that she had at the cottage… somewhere? It looked important so she had left it in the wrapping and put it somewhere, but she couldn’t remember where off hand.

“Pardon an old man his curiosity, but you mentioned you could craft runes, far as I know spells just pronounce those self-same runes, don’t they?”

“Yeah… but I’ve never heard them spoken, and I can never make sense of the pronunciation guides… I think if I heard it, it would work better. My mom would read the words I struggle with when I was first learning, and I think that it helps, but I wasn’t old enough to learn how to cast spells yet according to dad,” she explained with a sullen tone as her fingers played with the grains of the wood.

“Ah! You are one who learns by doing and hearing, jolly good, then I think your quest is not in vain,” he chirped trying to cheer her up. “Why if you use your little tablet there, you can play… err.”

“No speakers… but maybe if I earn enough with the candy sales, I might be able to afford one with speakers, or upgrade this model,” she offered, trying to see the bright side of it. 

“Blimey, I daresay that is a plan you might go with lass, especially in its plan-like and yet flexible nature,” he chortled out while giving her a playful bump against a shoulder, feeling like someone had blown against it. “Now then, I might suggest that you could try that, or look into getting a tutor of some sort. The only problem is that there is not much this way for practitioners of the magical arts, so you would have to venture to a bigger city.”

“So… I am basically depending on the funds I get from the sales of my goods to decide if I go and get an education, or can buy a tool to help me teach myself,” she muttered while slumping down on the table.

“Aye lass, but you are better than many, at least you have a plan in mind.”

“So what other things have I missed out on over the past few years?” she asked, switching topics before she could sink further into misery.

“Oh I imagine you have not heard about the latest book series, I personally find it rather boring, and for a ghost, that is saying a lot, but it was all the rage just a few years back,” he explained before going onto a in depth study of various popular book series, some interesting newspaper articles, and a few magazine specials that he’d seen.

He was just finishing telling her about the new advances in floppy discs when a new voice filled the quiet library. “Charles? Are you here? It’s past closing time and- oh h-hello there,” a quiet female voice offered as a bespectacled redhead rounded the corner and saw the two of them.

“Oh Janine! Wonderful, quite smashing that you are here, this young lady has one of those new fangled tablet devices you and the other kids are all raving about these days in favor of books, and we got it updating, but she does not have speakers, and wanted to ask questions about that.”

“Charles, I don’t know much about those, but they can be expensive,” she offered quietly, not meeting Nova’s eyes as she waved to her. “Forgive me, I’m Janine, the Assistant Librarian, and perhaps I can help you while we lock up?”

“That sounds wonderful, I should be on my way as well,” Nova offered with an understanding smile. “You mentioned that they can be expensive, about how much for the most basic upgrades to what I currently have would you say?”

Picking up her tablet, she held it out for Janine to inspect, noticing that the final update was completing, and there was a few requests to restart. It would probably be a good idea to do that after she left. Perhaps she could do some reading at the Roost after dinner.

“I would say about fifty or sixty crowns, and that is if you can find a good sale in the big city, I don’t even think they have a store for these in town,” the assistant announced, drawing another sigh from Nova. “Sorry.”

“No, it is nothing, I should have realized it was a little foolish to imagine I could get everything at once. Thank you.”

With that, she packed up her things and left to go to dinner with Raven, who seemed very excited by her agreement. Perhaps it was just a matter of her not having many that stayed for dinner with her, and to be honest with the decor she couldn’t exactly fault them. She kind of enjoyed it, but she knew that most probably didn’t. Then again, it didn’t seem like Raven had many guests, since she had given Nova her choice of rooms to stay in, even offering up her own room at one point.

She almost seemed disappointed when Nova fell in love with the small little loft room on the south side of the building, opposite Raven’s room, but it had a beautiful window seat that she could star gaze from. That it was also the smallest room, and therefore a fair bit cheaper than the others was another major factor in things. 

The setting sun was painting the sky a beautiful orange and red mix, fading into a lush purple as she approached the bed and breakfast, smiling at the dramatic decor with a laugh as she passed it. It was cute really, just how much effort was put into making the outside seem creepy and uninviting while the interior was lush and gorgeously opulent, but still somewhat morbid. The skull shaped caps on the hand rails at the top and bottom of the stairs were beautifully down, as was the imp statues placed all over the place.

Stepping into the parlor, she was greeted by a smell that embraced her with a tender, warm embrace and all but coaxed her along the air towards the dining room. There she was greeted by a sight that was rather strange and slightly confusing.


End file.
